H.Res. 938 (110th): Commending the West Virginia University Mountaineer football team for exemplifying the pride, determination, and spirit of the Mountain State and overcoming adversity with skill, commitment, and teamwork to win the 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Commending the West Virginia University
Mountaineer football team for exemplifying the pride, determination, and spirit
of the Mountain State and overcoming adversity with skill, commitment, and
teamwork to win the 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Whereas the West Virginia University Mountaineer football
team won the 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, defeating the University of Oklahoma
Sooners by a score of 48 to 28 in Glendale, Arizona, on January 2, 2008;

Whereas the Mountaineer football team has been a source of
great pride for West Virginians throughout the years;

Whereas the people of West Virginia take their team’s
triumphs and setbacks as their own, in times of hardship and prosperity;

Whereas the Mountaineers displayed uncommon intensity and
determination in preparing for the challenge of meeting one of the best teams
in the country in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl;

Whereas the Mountaineers executed an almost flawless
game;

Whereas then-assistant coach Bill Stewart demonstrated
true leadership and coaching skill by filling an unexpected coaching void,
instilling confidence in his team, and leading them to victory, earning the
admiration and gratitude of his fellow West Virginians;

Whereas the Fiesta Bowl Most Valuable Player on offense,
Mountaineer quarterback Pat White, gave a brilliant running and passing
performance that inspired his teammates, delighted his fans, and frustrated his
opponents;

Whereas the Fiesta Bowl Most Valuable Player on defense,
Mountaineer linebacker and native West Virginian Reed Williams, led his
teammates in an outstanding defensive performance;

Whereas Mountaineer senior fullback Owen Schmitt, through
his steady play and gracious post-game words of victory, displayed the best
qualities of team play and sportsmanship;

Whereas Mountaineer receiver Tito Gonzales demonstrated
outstanding play with a 79-yard touchdown pass and showed a national television
audience how important Mountaineer success was to his team and his
State;

Whereas the Mountaineers’ offensive line dominated the
battle in the trenches, making possible the outstanding performances of White,
Devine, Schmitt, receiver Darius Reynaud, kicker Pat McAfee, and the other
offensive stars of the day;

Whereas the Mountaineers' attacking defense forced the
Sooner offense to yield the field time and again;

Whereas the Mountaineers finished among the top 10 in
college football rankings for 3 years in a row;

Whereas Mountaineer athletic director Ed Pastilong has
instilled in the athletic department of West Virginia University the highest
standards of ethics and performance throughout his many years of leadership;
and

Whereas the Mountaineers and their new head coach Bill
Stewart have brought great honor to themselves, their university, and the State
of West Virginia: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of
Representatives—

(1)

congratulates the
West Virginia University Mountaineer football team for winning the 2008
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl; and

(2)

commends the team
for demonstrating throughout the season the best qualities of teamwork,
dedication, and sportsmanship.